With the eye-watering fares for regular riders, these NOW cards will be a godsend. Most of us old farts aren't up an about until the free rides kick in.

Last time in Leyland, I remember taking the Stagecoach service (21Z?) from the first stop on Hough Lane headed towards Turpin Green when I was going up to see my Dad in Willowbank. Got off the bus just after it turned onto Wigan Road heading for Bamber Bridge. Fare was close to £1.

I can remeber kids' fare from the Cross to Preston being 10d return!

On our county system, old farts (over 65) get half fare. The agency gives you a pass for life with you photo. You have to go to Customer Service at the main station to get one.

Even at full fare, a trip from Anacortes to Mount Vernon and on to Bellingham (about 45 miles) is 75 cents (38p). With a senior card it's only 19p. Going to Everett (60 miles) is $2.00 (about £1.00).

The downside is that the network is a bit thinly spread and doesn't have the density that you have in England. Also, there are a lot of gaps in the middle of the day because the system is so commuter oriented.

Whenever we next visit, we look forward to having cards and using the system. The cards sound like a wonderful idea. I hope the current urinating contest over Council Taxes doesn't derail the program in local jurisdictions. It would be messy trying to figure which transportation district still honoured the cards and which didn't. My feeling is that the system ought to be funded nationally, so there aren't pockets of "no NOW cards" screwing up your travels.

In my travels for Boeing, I was always impressed by the Swiss system. Staying in Basel, I could get a "tageskarte" out of a slot machine anywhere that would give me access to virtually the whole of the Swiss buses, lake steamers, trains and mountain tramways for about £15 a day. Shame I had so little leisure time to enjoy it!

They certainly cut it fine, but our cards DID arrive this morning. We still don`t fully understand what `Local` service means. I assume that we can`t jump on a bus and say we want to go to London, for example.
How about if we wanted to go to Bolton? Is Stagecoach part of the scheme or is it limited to the likes of Preston Bus or Fishwick`s?

quote:A local bus service would include any type of town bus service; a rural service which observes all bus stops and interurban services observing all bus stops and which may include a limited stop section of route where the distance between stops is within 15 miles (21.4 kms).

Martin, I read that also. Stops over 15 miles apart are exempt, (National Express etc). But what about Stagecoach who travel from town to town with scheduled stops that are LESS than 15 miles?
I have read and re-read the blurb, but it`s still ambiguous.